7 Replies to “The Art of the Lightsaber”

Another example of great choreography, but this was essentially a kung fu scenario dressed up as a lightsaber duel.
Good points:
1. The credits mention that the film’s opening narration is based on a letter written by a Union soldier during the Civil War, a man who was killed soon after having written the letter. That was a nice touch.
2. The choreography was fast, furious, and in terms of technique, better executed than what the high schoolers (Ryan and Dorkman) did.
3. Some nifty sword tricks incorporated into the choreography, such as the “sword flip” executed by the dude with one sword.
4. The fight was well-edited for a fan film.
5. The whole “this is dedicated to our parents” was a nice Asian/Confucian touch.
Bad points
1. Almost total kung fu, not really Star Wars at all.
2. Some of the lightsaber trickery involved stabbing the blades into the ground. According to lightsaber mythology, the blade can cut through almost anything, which gives me little reason to believe a lightsaber blade wouldn’t just sink into the ground or fall over.
3. A bit too “Matrix”-y in look.
4. I wasn’t sure, at first, who the good guy was. Perhaps there is deeper symbolism in this film than I saw: the opening narrative is based on a letter from the Civil War, and the lightsaber duel is literally brother against brother– another Civil War reference, perhaps? Maybe this was an exploration of internecine conflict– something we Koreans seem to like mythologizing, what with all the “one people” rhetoric.
5. Unless the choreography contained shades of the Shaw Brothers, I saw no clever references to other fight scenes, including Star Wars ones. That hurt.
Thanks for the YouTube. They need to create a “country” version of that software: YouRube.
Kevin

MJ- This is great effort and the first comments are fair but ill thought out, and have to be written by an American.
1. Almost total kung fu, not really Star Wars at all.
MJ- You R tard most of the lightsaber choreography in the films takes it’s style from many aspect of eastern martial arts, it being too ‘Kung Fu’ is a rather silly comment to make, and just being picky about one of the pest fan films I’ve seen, try and keep it in context, this is not a professional piece.
2. Some of the lightsaber trickery involved stabbing the blades into the ground. According to lightsaber mythology, the blade can cut through almost anything, which gives me little reason to believe a lightsaber blade wouldn’t just sink into the ground or fall over.
MJ- Lightsabers will cut thought almost anything and just because they do this does not suggest that they would do it quickly, as seen in episode one it takes time for the lightsaber to cut through blast doors, equally we are talking about Jedi, who to say that the saber is not held in place by the Jedi’s force powers… and how does earth melt or burn…it kind of tends to harden under heat, till it becomes molten at a very high temperature.
3. A bit too “Matrix”-y in look.
MJ- Ok i’d go with this one a more Star Wars feel in costume would have been the icing on the cake.
4. I wasn’t sure, at first, who the good guy was. Perhaps there is deeper symbolism in this film than I saw: the opening narrative is based on a letter from the Civil War, and the lightsaber duel is literally brother against brother– another Civil War reference, perhaps? Maybe this was an exploration of internecine conflict– something we Koreans seem to like mythologizing, what with all the “one people” rhetoric.
MJ- yes I think that was the point and I like the ambiguity it adds to the piece as a hole and makes it more than just fan lightsaber fight, and makes it more thought provoking…making it in my view a short film…rather than a fan fight.
5. Unless the choreography contained shades of the Shaw Brothers, I saw no clever references to other fight scenes, including Star Wars ones. That hurt.
MJ- It’s stands as a much more original piece because it does not take much from Star Wars in choreography, it’s refreshing and different.

Now that was a good fight. Good working choreography and strong symbolism.
2 things though, The sabers were a bit too big in the hilts at first and then became small when no blades were shown. Guys keep the hilts the same.
As for the blade stick, good one. You also might have wanted to throw in a few actual karate or kung fu fighting moves.
Maybe for the next one you can review Jujistu, a more weapons based fighting style.